American Tungsten (CSE:TUNG) has begun drilling at the historical lower tailings impoundment at the IMA Mine in Idaho, US.
The company will drill over 30 acres of historical tailings found at the site from previous mining activities.
Historical operators have estimated lower tailings impoundment to contain 222,000 cubic yards of tailings.
Shallow trenches of preliminary samples average 0.25% tungsten trioxide and 0.48 ounces per tonne silver.
Haz-Tech Drilling will conduct hollow stem auger drilling in the tailings area with 35 holes currently planned over 370 feet.
Auger drilling is intended to delineate the tailings thickness, as well as collecting samples. Drilling is expected to take one week.
CEO Ali Haji says this campaign is a “key component” of the company’s strategy to define the potential of the IMA Mine.
“Initial sampling continues to support our view that the tungsten grades within the tailings are broadly representative of the remaining material on site,” Haji says.
“With modern processing technologies far more efficient than those available in the 1950s, we believe there is a clear pathway to significantly improve historical recoveries.
“The tailings represent a compelling low-cost, early production opportunity that can generate near-term cash flow while advancing meaningful site restoration as part of our overall development plan.”
American Tungsten is a Canadian explorer focused on tungsten and magnetite discoveries in North America.
Write to Maddison Elliott at Mining.com.au
Images: American Tungsten
